Photo By Master Sgt. Benari Poulten | Staff Sgt. Frank Porter, an Observer/Coach Trainer (O/CT) for WAREX 78-17-01, oversees...... read more read more
On a particularly rainy day in March way out at the training ranges of Joint Base McQuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Soldiers from the 358th Engineer Company are working hard laying cement and brushing up on their engineering skills as part of their annual reserve training during the 84th Training Command's WAREX 78-17-01, a warrior exercise designed to prepare units to be combat-ready. Their morning activities take a sudden, chaotic turn when role players functioning as opposition forces attack their work site and the engineers must shift to combat procedures and engage the enemy. The reserve engineers grab their weapons and snap into action, calling out movements and reacting to the hostile fire according to their unit's practiced standard operating procedures. Off to the side, experienced officers like 1st Lieutenant Joseph Bowie of the 78th Training Division and non-commissioned officers like Staff Sgt. Frank Porter take notes and assess the unit's capabilities before finally calling an end to the scenario. These seasoned leaders are serving in an Observer/Coach Trainer role for the WAREX and assist in guiding the units through their training, not only helping plan and execute the exercise scenarios, but providing crucial feedback and suggestions for improvement so troops can strengthen their skills and expand their base of knowledge.
The gunfire ceases and the engineers regroup in a huddle around the O/CTs, evaluating and assessing what went right and what went wrong. As an O/CT, advisors like Bowie and Porter are not there to simply critique the units they observe, but to share valuable expertise and work directly with the units in crafting strategies to eliminate weaknesses and capitalize on their strengths.
“We try to interject as little as possible but when we see something wrong, we say something,” says Porter. “And we kind of pull the leadership to the side and say, 'hey, maybe you should do it this way.' Or maybe, 'think about this, these are things that you might not be hitting in each step in whatever procedure you're doing.' And they take the information and they add it to their plans and they improve.”
“We bring in, basically, a third eye,” adds Bowie. “The company leadership, they continually evaluate their Soldiers and determine what their strengths and weaknesses are, so it's good to have that third party come in and say, 'hey, this is what you guys did, this is what you look like, and this is where you all need to improve.' And that's what we provide.”
Improvement is a key component of the WAREX, as the extended training period gives troops an opportunity to immerse themselves in their assigned tasks and get hands-on experience doing their jobs. “This environment emulates almost what the real world is going to present to them,” says Bowie. “They get to actually put their gloves on, get a concrete mixer out here, get a leveler and actually put a sidewalk down as opposed to just talking about it or just training or rehearsing it and actually putting what they learn to the test.” And the troops get more than just training in their chosen military occupational specialty, as proven during the morning's enemy attack scenario.
“It helps them actually be an all-around soldier,” explains Porter. “Not just a construction guy but a construction Soldier in the Army so when they deploy, they know the fundamentals of convoy operations, of tactical movement, those basic things that, as an active duty soldier, we train non-stop.”
The non-stop training environment offers an exciting chance for younger Soldiers, especially those in leadership positions, to get a handle on the fast-paced and often-stressful nature of a deployment. “This is the first time I've had joint operations,” says Sgt. Earl Mosely of the 358th Engineer Company. “Learning a different way to react...is something I love to learn.” During this exercise scenario, Mosely had to learn to step into a command role and take charge of his team's response to aggressive enemy fire after the unit's executive officer became a simulated casualty. Mosely found the experience especially useful, since the group was taken by surprise in the middle of a routine construction project and they had to quickly adjust and respond to the threat.
“It's real-world, so when we do deploy eventually, this is something that can happen,” elaborates Mosely. “The enemy isn't going to stop attacking us just because we're working on a latrine or building a school or anything like that. We gotta stop what you're doing and get out there and fight. At the end of the day, we're all Soldiers....we really want to get the job done, but we have to know that the enemy can come from anywhere, in any shape or form, so we have to be ready tactically to respond to that.”
The Soldiers from units going through the extensive training aren't the only ones gaining valuable experience, however. The advisors also glean important lessons from the units they are charged with observing. While overseeing the 358th, Bowie says he has learned a number of things that he believes will make him a better overall leader. He thinks the WAREX is providing him with the tools to operate successfully in the field and he feels his experience as an O/CT is helping to better prepare him to lead his own troops. “I get to see a different perspective, as far as just commanding and leading Soldiers,” he says. “I get to actually see how they go through the training and the other side of it, as far as what training Soldiers need and I feel like being an O/CT ultimately makes me a better leader in the Army.”
| Date Taken: | 03.30.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.03.2017 15:48 |
| Story ID: | 229012 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ, US |
| Web Views: | 68 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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